City councils welcome new members
Westlake (top photo) and Bay Village city council members were sworn into office in the first days of January.
The turning of the calendar to 2014 brought the commencement of a new term of public service to our community. The cities of Bay Village and Westlake inaugurated the victors of last November’s municipal election in ceremonies on Jan. 1 and 2, respectively.
Each city council welcomed two new members – in Bay Village, Ward 2 Councilman Paul Vincent and Ward 4 Councilman Thomas Henderson; in Westlake, Ward 1 Councilmember Lynda Appel and Ward 2 Councilman Nick Nunnari – along with oath renewals for the returning council members.
Mayors Deborah Sutherland and Dennis Clough – each already their city’s longest-serving top officials – were inaugurated for another four-year term. Sutherland begins her 14th year in office; Clough his 29th.
In her remarks prior to being sworn in by Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Robert McClelland, Mayor Sutherland expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve the city and recognized the contributions of others, past and present.
“We are building on the successes of past administrations and our forefathers; past councils, past mayors,” Sutherland said. “I think it’s important to acknowledge that. We don’t just start over from ground zero, we continue to build and get better and improve and I think that’s really what’s important to all of us.”
Sutherland also commented on the importance of the democratic ideal of a peaceful transfer of power, a sentiment echoed the following evening during Westlake’s ceremony by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Terrence O’Donnell, who administered oaths to several council members.
“We transfer power with an oath,” Justice O’Donnell told the crowd of public servants, their families and residents that filled Westlake’s city council chambers. “Even though it’s a jovial occasion and everyone’s having fun, this reflects our democracy, and it is what we have in this country that everyone doesn’t have around the world. This is a special honor and privilege to be here. … This is really government in action.”
In organizational meetings following the inaugurations, council members from each city split up the various committee assignments. The new rosters are as follows:
WESTLAKE
Ad Hoc Information Technology Committee:
– Michael O’Donnell, chair
– Nick Nunnari
– Dennis Sullivan
Finance & Wages:
– Michael Killeen, chair
– Ken Brady
– Mark Getsay
Planning, Zoning, Legislative, Building Codes:
– Sullivan, chair
– Brady
– Getsay
Public Grounds, Buildings, Public Transportation, Recreation, Civil Service:
– Brady, chair
– Lynda Appel
– O’Donnell
Safety, Utilities, Industrial Development, Welfare:
– O’Donnell, chair
– Appel
– Nunnari
Sanitation:
– O’Donnell, interim chair through recess 2014
– Nunnari, chair after recess 2014
– Sullivan
Service, Streets, Sidewalks, Road Drains:
– Sullivan, chair through recess 2014
– Appel, chair after recess 2014
– Brady
Planning Commission Representative:
– Getsay
Recreation Commission Representative:
– Brady
BAY VILLAGE
Public Improvements Streets, Sewers and Drainage:
– David Tadych, chair
– Thomas Henderson
– Steve Lee
Recreation and Park Improvements:
– Henderson, chair
– Paul Vincent
– Dwight Clark
Finance and Claims
– Clark, chair
– Tadych
– Henderson
Services, Utilities and Equipment
– Vincent, chair
– Karen Lieske
– Tadych
Planning, Zoning, Public Grounds and Buildings
– Lieske, chair
– Lee
– Vincent
Environment, Safety and Community Services
– Lee, chair
– Clark
– Lieske
Planning Commission Representative:
– Lee
Architectural Board of Review Representative:
– Vincent
Community Services Advisory Board Representative:
– Clark
Parks and Recreation Commission Representative:
– Henderson
Income Tax Board of Review Representative:
– Clark
Ad Hoc Committee for Walker Road Park:
– Tadych
– Henderson
– Clark
Bay Family Services Representative:
– Paul Koomar